“Because the fossil fuel sector has started reducing its emissions, the transport sector started reducing its emissions and agriculture stayed the same. Suddenly, this year, we're not 14 percent like we were last year, we're 17%. It's a percentage game. So what's going to happen over time is if agriculture does nothing, we'll become the only sector of greenhouse gas emissions while all the other sectors go to zero.” Professor Richard Eckard. 

In the fourth episode of our series Planning for Prosperity, sponsored by Action Steel, BCG’s Janine Batters chats with soil carbon royalty: The University of Melbourne’s Professor Richard Eckard. The conversation covers: 

• What are greenhouse gas emissions 

• What is meant by scope 1, scope two and scope three emissions 

• What the difference is between NetZero and carbon neutral 

• What is carbon sequestration  

• What are carbon credits and how they are being used 

• The difference between offsets and insets and why knowing the difference is crucial 

• Whether planting trees or locking up vegetation is counted in reducing emissions and whether it’s a good option 

• Commercial nitrogen plants using solar panels and how they can help farmers reduce emissions 

• Why it’s important to know your greenhouse gas emission per tonne of grain/wool etc number, how to calculate it and how it is likely to be used 

• The Carbon Farming Outreach Program 

This podcast is sponsored by Action Steel. Visit https://www.actionsteel.com.au/ today.

For more information on chemical storage visit: https://www.actionsteel.com.au/downloads/standard-chemical-sheds-brochure-size-price-guide/  

The information in this episode is general in nature. Before making any financial decisions, speak to your trusted financial adviser.  

About Professor Richard Eckard 

Richard is Professor of Carbon Farming at the University of Melbourne and National program leader in the Carbon Research Centre for Net Zero Agriculture. His research focuses on carbon farming and accounting towards carbon neutral agriculture, managing extreme climate events and options for agriculture to respond to a changing climate. He developed the first carbon accounting tools in Australia in 2001, these tools now form a national agreed standard in Australia for on farm carbon accounting; his research and expertise provided the science basis for the development of six carbon offset methods in Australia. Richard is a science advisor to the Victorian, Australian, New Zealand, Ireland, UK and EU governments, the International Livestock Research Institute and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization on climate change adaptation, mitigation and policy development in agriculture. In 2021, Richard was named on the Reuters list of the world’s 1,000 most influential climate scientists.  

About Grace Hosking 

Grace joined BCG in Jan 2023. Grace studied a Bachelor of Agriculture, majoring in Economics at The University of Melbourne. Grace grew up on a broadacre cropping and livestock farm at Quambatook, where her passion for agriculture began. Stemming from her own experience growing up in a rural community, Grace has a strong desire to see farmers and their communities thrive and she enjoys working at an organisation that plays a pivotal role in providing opportunities for industry to improve in both productivity and profitability. Outside of work, Grace enjoys staying involved in her family farm, cooking, walking her dog Mae and spending afternoons at the lake. 

Helpful links: 

Professor Richard Eckard 

https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/2680-richard-eckard  

Calculators 

https://aginnovationaustralia.com.au/ea-platform/ 

https://ruminati.com.au/ 

https://piccc.org.au/resources/Tools.html 

The Carbon Farming Outreach Program  

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/emissions-reduction/agricultural-land-sectors/carbon-farming-outreach-program 

Find Professor Eckard on LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-eckard-23936042/?originalSubdomain=au  

Find Grace on LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-hosking-32449b237/ 

Find Janine on LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-batters-a5083b166/  

If you loved the podcast you can show your support by rating it five stars and sharing it with your friends.  

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au or linktr.ee/bcg_birchip  

This project is delivered with funding support from the Commonwealth of Australia through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, under the Carbon Farming Outreach Program in collaboration with the Grower Group Alliance.

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“That price gap's a hurdle for a lot of farmers. I feel that I've probably got other farmers that would, but the majority of them would not be keen to spend that amount of money compared to what they could be doing with Trojan.  

 “Most farmers will want to see an economical return from that long term. And because we need that from every aspect of farming. 

 “Farming is a money-making venture. We're not doing it as a hobby. 

 “As Paul suggested, I think probably just picking a paddock at a time is a good strategy. I've run into more issues where people want to go all IPM instantly. That's presented issues, just getting around the farm, monitoring and making sure we don't get any chronic outbreaks.   

“You'll see the value, I suppose, from using products like Vandecor.  

 “You should only have to do one of them [spray] where, in a long spring where, Heliothis or Etiola come in early, you may be doing two Trojans.  

 “It's worked well actually.” Wimmera agronomist Tim Pohlner. 

“IPM isn't just doing nothing. IPM involves the three control options. And there is nothing else. All the control has to come out of one of those three tools. 

“The advice that I give to people, if it doesn't work, then that's of no value to anyone. So, if there's pests there, you have to control them. It's just how you choose to use it. Which products you choose, whether it's cultural or whether it's a pesticide.  

“There's no advantage to anyone in watching insects and other pests destroy their crop. 

“All IPM is, is trying to use things in the best possible way so they work together.” Entomologist Dr Paul Horne  

The third episode of our series Planning for Prosperity, sponsored by Action Steel, highlights that while planning is crucial in farming, so too is flexibility.  That using Integrated Pest Management in broadacre farming isn't black and white, all or nothing.   

Take a listen and decide for yourself whether you might begin to introduce IPM at your place.  

The conversation covers what is IPM, how to apply it in a broadacre setting, beneficial versus pests, the cost of applying broad spectrum insecticides versus selective including price, impact on beneficials, resistance buildup, marketing options, and time spent spraying. Monitoring was also discussed and the amount of time required both at the start of implementation and throughout the season.  

With slugs causing severe establishment damage, particularly in the Wimmera, monitoring and control were also discussed with BCG’s Casey Sim explaining BCG’s current Optimising Slug Management project with SARDI.  

This podcast is sponsored by Action Steel. Visit https://www.actionsteel.com.au/ today 

For more information on chemical storage visit: https://www.actionsteel.com.au/downloads/standard-chemical-sheds-brochure-size-price-guide/  

About Dr Paul Horne 

Dr Paul Horne is an entomologist and since 1996 has been owner and director of IPM Technologies Pty Ltd, based in Hurstbridge, Victoria, Australia. 

His work on IPM in a range of crops has taken him to different places including Yemen, Thailand, Spain, Denmark, Indonesia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.  A strong focus of his work has been the implementation and adoption of IPM strategies. This has also involved a strong research component on the impact of pesticides on species of beneficial invertebrates. 

For many years Paul delivered a lecture series on entomology and IPM at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia and now runs online courses in entomology for IPM Technologies.  He has also supervised undergraduate and post-graduate students from La Trobe and Melbourne Universities.  Paul completed both his undergraduate degree and PhD at La Trobe University. 

Paul has written several books on insects and IPM (the two most important co-authored with Jessica Page) and guidebooks to insects in potato crops and brassica crops in Australia. He has published over 70 scientific and conference papers on insects and IPM, as well as many other articles in industry literature.  He has received awards from the Australian Vegetable industry and the World Potato Congress for his work. 

About Tim Pohlner 

Tim Pohlner is an agronomic consultant and owner of AgVantage Agronomy. 

Tim has worked as an agronomist for 18 years and consults throughout the Wimmera and Southern Mallee. 

AgVantage Agronomy helps progressive farmers to maximise productivity and profitability via new technology and farming systems together with proven, best practice basic principles. 

Helpful links: 

https://ipmtechnologies.com.au/ 

IPM videos with Paul: https://www.bcg.org.au/news/?content_type=videos  

Find Tim Pohlner on  

X @PohlnerTim 

LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-pohlner-70268487/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=au  

Find Tim Reethus on X @TRethus  

Find BCG on  

X 

@BCG_Birchip 

Instagram  

@bcg_birchip 

LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/birchip-cropping-group-bcg-/?viewAsMember=true  

Find Janine on LinkedIn 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-batters-a5083b166/  

If you loved the podcast you can show your support by rating it five stars and sharing it with your friends.  

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au or linktr.ee/bcg_birchip  

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“This year, in terms of the IOD, it's just been sitting there in neutral. We've been just watching it, seeing if there's anything developing. At the moment, there's a slight hint that it's looking like it could go a little bit, negative IOD, which would actually increase our chances of some rainfall, but similar to the Pacific Ocean, in the Indian Ocean, that is purely just based on a temperature difference between the Horn of Africa and the waters off the coast of Sumatra.  

 “Again, like the El Nino for La Nina patterns to develop, it's not just the sea surface temperatures that we need there to be in a certain pattern. We also need the trade winds. pressure patterns, and the cloudiness also to come to the party. And that's also not really happening at this point of time either 

In the second episode of our eight-part series Planning for Prosperity, Janine Batters talks with resident BCG climate expert Kate Finger about why sometimes, one climate outcome is predicted, yet what we actually experience, feels like the opposite. 

Kate explains the importance of understanding that climate predictions are based on probabilities and how to decipher these, what is really being predicted for this spring and summer period and all the factors that need to align for us to receive the much talked about spring rains.  

This podcast is sponsored by Action Steel. Visit https://www.actionsteel.com.au/ today 

For more information on chemical storage visit: https://www.actionsteel.com.au/downloads/standard-chemical-sheds-brochure-size-price-guide/  

About Kate Finger 

Kate Finger is a Research Project Manager at BCG. Kate joined BCG in May 2019. Kate believes the work she is a part of is helping to improve the profitability and sustainability of Australian agriculture. Kate holds a Bachelor of Science – Majoring in Agricultural Science and a Masters of Agricultural Sciences specialising in Crop Production from the University of Melbourne. Kate loves horse riding, gardening and hiking. 

Helpful links: 

BCG Technical Bulletin  

To sign up for the BCG Technical Bulletin visit www.bcg.org.au/product/bcg-membership/ 

The Break newsletter: 

subscribe online or contact [email protected] 

BoM Climate Outlooks: 

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/summary/ 

If you loved the podcast you can show your support by rating it five stars and sharing it with your friends.  

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poorly managed conflict is the biggest internal threat to your business’ bottom line.

There is no change without conflict and there is always conflict where there is change. 

The right conflict; healthy arguments over differing ideas in an environment of mutual respect; stimulates both personal and business growth. 

“The reason why it's [good conflict resolution] so critical is because everything that we do in every group has human interaction at its core. The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our relationships.  Overwhelmingly.  It's a basic human need. Being part of a supportive, caring group has a bigger impact on our health, both physical and mental, than anything else.  

 “More than getting the right exercise, eating the right diet, going to the doctor, taking the right medicine. Being part of a supportive, healthy group is just a basic human need and that's why it's so important to be able to address conflict early and appropriately. It's just determines the quality of our lives.” 

In the first episode of our eight-part series Planning for Prosperity Janine Batters talks with Brows Up conflict resolution specialist Neville Brady. The conversation covers the VIP approach, recognising our own part in the problem and waving the white truce flag, the difference between criticism and critique and the importance of improving your business structures, resources, competencies and commitment.  

The conversation is a great example of how humour can be used to tackle tricky conversations and the importance of leadership, self awareness and keeping your eyebrows up! 

This podcast is sponsored by Action Steel. Visit https://www.actionsteel.com.au/ today 

For more information on chemical storage visit: https://www.actionsteel.com.au/downloads/standard-chemical-sheds-brochure-size-price-guide/  

About Neville Brady 

Neville is a, father, husband and business consultant. He conducts laugh out loud funny mens’ health presentations and has a particularly unique stress management technique that makes people laugh. 

He grew up on a farm near Swan Hill with three brothers. His mother had an electric cow prod and no cows. As a teenager he learnt a valuable lesson from his mum when he said “Mum, everyone is giving me the shits!” His Mum said, with a gentle tone, “Oh sweat heart… everyone can’t be wrong.” 

He and his team from Browsup consulting who work with SME’s and family businesses – where’s there an extra layer of complexity – improve outcomes by improving business inputs: structures, resources, competencies and commitment. 

Helpful links: 

https://www.browsup.com.au/  

https://www.lifeline.org.au/  

If you loved the podcast you can show your support by rating it five stars and sharing it with your friends.  

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“So it's essentially a drone in a box. And it is automated, but it's only just been released, so it will open up at a predetermined time, do its map, and come back, park up and close up for the night. And people are sending them out every day to collect data,    

“It's in a weatherproof station that sits outside a shed or something like that. As long as it's got internet and power, you can then plan flights at any time of the day. 

“So it will open up. It's got its own little weather station inbuilt. So if it is too windy, it won't take off. So there are some safety measures in place as well. 

In our eighth and final episode of our series On the Horizon: Farm Tech Janine chats to Droneland Australia’s Adam Mitchell about how drones are being used in agriculture to support farmers. The conversation covers types of drones, costs, capabilities including spraying, spreading, seedings, mapping, analysing, topography collection, firefighting, livestock management and agricultural research. The conversation also covers safety, licensing, support and contracting. 

This podcast is sponsored by GE Silos. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today 

About Adam Mitchell  

Adam has always been interested in business and envisaged becoming an entrepreneur. He has always admired people who believe in a vision and back themselves to make their vision a reality. After high school, Adam became a qualified electrician and from there moved into facilities management. At the same time, he attended university (night school) whilst raising a young family. Adam completed a Bachelor Degree in Business. It was then that Adam first came across the use of drones in agriculture. His family has had cattle farms for some time and it was at their farm in Gympie that a neighbour was using a drone to access an area he could not reach by foot or vehicle. Adam and his two brother in laws and now business partners began researching how drones were being used in agriculture, and saw a real opportunity in the space.  

Helpful links: 

https://www.droneland.au/ 

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjbxlxCBlyXCPqJeEMHTAA  

Instagram: @dronelandau 

Facebook: Droneland Australa 

LinkedIn: Droneland Australia 

We would like to thank our sponsors GE Silos for making this episode possible. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today 

If you loved the podcast you can show your support by rating it five stars and sharing it with your friends.  

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Just put all your chemical in as per order. The important thing is to give it the granules time to dissolve, get into the solution. 

“we've got scales so we can measure all the chemicals in, especially your bulk chemicals out of shuttles. 

“We need to know the  specific density of each chemical which is all different so you need to know that before you're doing it. I've used the scales and I also put a mark on the shuttle to know that I'm getting the right volume. Using the scales properly I think there could be a cost benefit as far as  using the right amount of chemical versus what the scale is saying.” 

In our seventh episode of our series On the Horizon: Farm Tech Janine Batters chats to Jil Jil farmer David Ferrier about his chemical batching machine. The conversation covers cost, transport, chemical antagonism, scale weights, safety, tank sizes, efficiencies, challenges and automation. 

This podcast is sponsored by GE Silos. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today.

About David Ferrier:

Wirrabilla Farms is managed and owned by David Ferrier, his wife De-Anne, and David's parents John and Robyn. David and De-Anne have three children. Wirrabilla Farms is situated 35 km north of Birchip at Jil Jil and covers approximately 5000 ha. David and his family run a mixed broadacre farming operation growing crops and livestock. Crop types include wheat, barley, canola, lentils, safflower and vetch.

Helpful links: 

https://gnsengineering.com.au/ 

Follow David Ferrier on X: @WirrabillaFarms 

We would like to thank our sponsors GE Silos for making this episode possible. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today.

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Horizon: Farm Tech 

Farm security with AgCloud’s Grant Sutton 

“But there's some more organised criminals that have a bit more nous about how they’ll tackle a farm, and they'll go to power, and they'll cut power. That can disable the system if it's not planned correctly. 

“It can cause the internet to go down. Say for example, so there's no alerts coming through, or it could stop a camera from working altogether.” 

In our sixth episode, sponsored by GE Silos, we chat with AgCloud’s Grant Sutton. Grant shares the latest advancements in farm security cameras. The discussion covers AI improvements, underground sensors, systems, connections, power and internet requirements, functions, notifications, support and planning.  

About Grant Sutton 

Grant Sutton has dedicated his career to helping businesses navigate the complexities of the digital world. Passionate about supporting small businesses, Grant has two decades of experience within the IT industry and has focused the past six years on predominantly supporting farmers. 

In 2018, Grant co-founded AgCloud, a pioneering venture aimed at bringing cutting-edge technology solutions to farms across Australia. His work has included involvement in both state and federal government technology rollouts, as well as collaborating with companies to bring AI camera technology to farms. Through his involvement in several successful technology rollouts, Grant has played a key role in modernising agricultural operations, ensuring that Australian farms remain at the forefront of innovation. 

Outside of his professional work, Grant is passionate about exploring new technological trends and staying ahead of the curve in an ever-changing digital world.  

You can find Grant on on: 

X:  https://x.com/AgCloudAU  

https://www.agcloud.com.au/ 

This podcast is sponsored by GE Silos. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today   

Helpful links: 

Farm connectivity program 

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/better-connectivity-plan-regional-and-rural-australia/farm-connectivity-program

Cyber Safety 

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online 

Information on improving your internet and mobile access 

https://birrraus.com/ 

https://regionaltechhub.org.au/ 

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I’m most excited about, probably for the wrong reasons, lasers because they are awesome to use!  

“There's just so much energy! It just gets blasted into these weed plants in such a fantastic, intense, short period of time. It's quite satisfying to burn these weeds to a crisp with a big laser.” 

In our fifth episode of our series On the Horizon: Farm Tech Janine chats to Professor Michael Walsh from Charles Sturt University about alternative weed control options. The conversation covers mechanical controls, electronic laser controls, microwave lasers, gametocides, allelopathic chemicals, mircojet sprayers and intense blue light technology which includes the Weed Seed Destroyer.  

We discuss efficacy, availability, cost, energy and adaptability for broadacre use.  

This podcast is sponsored by GE Silos. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today 

About Prof. Michael Walsh 

Prof. Walsh’s research career commenced in 1999 with his role as a weed agronomist in AHRI (Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative) where initially he explored herbicide resistance in wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) and techniques for managing herbicide resistant weeds. A focus of this research was the evaluation and development of harvest weed seed control systems. This work contributed to the now widespread understanding and use of these systems in Australian and global grain production. In 2016 Prof. Walsh moved to the University of Sydney where in the role of director weed research he led the northern grains regions Innovation in Crop Weed Control project. Research activities in this and additional projects (Machine learning for Weed Recognition, Site-specific weed control in ginger cropping systems) identified the opportunities of weed recognition technologies and site-specific weed control capability. This has resulted in more recent research efforts being focused on the development of novel non-chemical weed control techniques for in-crop use. 

As part of the Gulbali Institute at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Prof. Walsh is continuing to research and develop novel weed control technologies with a focus on progressing suitable approaches through to commercialization. These research activities are integrated within the broader cropping systems research activities at CSU as well as being connected nationally and internationally with similar efforts.

Helpful links: 

Global Neighbor – developers of the Weed Seed Destroyer (https://g-neighbor.com/) 

Azaneo – pulsed electrical weeding https://azaneo.au/ 

Electrical weeding - Zasso https://zasso.com; Rootwave https://rootwave.com/; Weed Zapper https://theweedzapper.oldschoolmanufacturing.com/ 

Carbon Robotics – autonomous laser weeding (https://carbonrobotics.com) 

The Row Shaver interrow mowing (https://www.rowshaver.com/) 

The Weed Chipper https://doi.org/10.1017/wet.2020.34 

Energy requirements of weed control technologies https://doi.org/10.1017/wet.2019.32 

We would like to thank our sponsors GE Silos for making this episode possible. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today 

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This podcast was brought to you by GE Silos. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today. 

"Our market has been in tow behind sprayers. They don't take a huge amount of horsepower to pull. It means we can keep our weight really light for a 24 meter boom, for example, we'll be eight ton loaded, so you can get on the ground nice and early. We don't want to go bigger because that's going away from where SwarmFarm began. 

“The idea with the swarm is you've got lots of small, lightweight machines doing the job that you'd think of one big one doing. So the reason why we aren't going bigger is because we believe that you can do the same job with less horsepower and less weight.” 

In our fourth episode of our series On the Horizon: Farm Tech,  Janine chats with SwarmFarm’s Bailey Kilpatrick about the company’s autonomous SwarmBots and how they are being used in different agricultural industries across Australia. 

The discussion includes horsepower, cost, management, regulations, servicing and parts, connectivity requirements, average maximum hours per bot, training and attachments. 

About Bailey Kilpatrick 

Bailey Kilpatrick is SwarmFarm’s Portfolio Manager for Emerald. 

Bailey is particularly passionate about the technology that Australian farmers are adopting on their farms which result in better farming decisions. Bailey has a broad depth of knowledge in the ag industry gained from living and working around Australia on various properties and holds a Bachelor of Agriculture. 

You can find SwarmFarm on: 

X: https://x.com/SwarmFarm  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swarmfarm-robotics/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swarmfarmrobotics/  
FB: https://www.facebook.com/swarmfarm  

Helpful links: 

https://www.swarmfarm.com/  

https://www.swarmfarm.com/journey/ 

We would like to thank our sponsors GE Silos for making this episode possible. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today 

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This podcast was brought to you by GE Silos. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today.

New farm office tech and cybersecurity with Carmen Quade 

“I think the first thing to do is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. When new things come in, we’re often bad at it. 

 “And as adults, you don't like that feeling of things being difficult or hard or harder than they were. And it's just acknowledging that initially things are going to be harder before they get easier and just persisting through that.” 

In our third episode, we chat with AgriFocused’s Carmen, who shares the latest farm office technology to make your office time more efficient. Carmen also discusses some quick wins when it comes to software already available but not always used to its fullest. The farm business expert also shares some of her tips on how to protect yourself, your farm business and those you love from cybercrime.  

About Carmen Quade 

Carmen Quade runs AgriFocused, a training business specialising in farm business skills. She has worked as a university lecturer in accounting and agribusiness and enjoys working with people to improve their business skills. She also has extensive experience in local government, both in economic and community development as well as corporate governance. Together with her husband and other family members, she is a partner in a mixed farming business at Tallimba, in the Northern Riverina. She works her magic in the office, not the paddock. Carmen holds a Bachelor of Business (Agricultural Commerce), a Master of Professional Accounting and a Cert IV in Training Small Groups. 

You can learn more about Carmen by visiting her website: https://agrifocused.com.au/ and following her on X @AgriFocused or Instagram @AgriFocused 

You can find Carmen on: 

X: https://x.com/AgriFocused  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-quade-agrifocused-97412b198/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agrifocused/  

https://agrifocused.com.au/ 

Helpful links: 

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/better-connectivity-plan-regional-and-rural-australia/farm-connectivity-program 

Password Management Software 

https://www.lastpass.com 

https://www.dashlane.com 

https://1password.com/ 

Software for ease of data entry for invoices 

https://dext.com/ 

Software to make your own forms and related QR codes 

https://www.jotform.com/ 

https://www.google.com.au/forms/about/ 

Cyber Safety 

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online 

Information on improving your internet and mobile access 

https://birrraus.com/ 

https://regionaltechhub.org.au/ 

Tips on managing emails 

https://agrifocused.com.au/managing-emails/ 

We would like to thank our sponsors GE Silos for making this episode possible. Visit https://www.gesilos.com.au/ today 

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present. 

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It did happen, that's true, but it's also a pain in the neck with logistics, right? At harvest time, it's hard sending trucks different ways and shifting shifters at your own site or having some trucks going to the site and some going home. The secret sauce is getting your economy right and using these maps to inform what you're doing next time around.” 

In our second episode, we chat with Kaniva farmer Jonathan Dyer, who shares how he uses the data from his protein machine to create nitrogen maps to guide nitrogen inputs.  

The conversation covers technical set up, software, support, data handling, protein machine models as well as some of the challenges he has experience and where he looks for advice.  

About Jonathan Dyer 

Jonathan is a grain grower from Kaniva in the West Wimmera. The Dyers grow a mixture of bread and durum wheat, canola, lentils, faba beans and chickpeas in a continuous cropping rotation. Having a background in IT, Jonathan completed a Nuffield Scholarship in 2015 on ‘big data’ in agriculture. 

You can find Jonathan on: 

X: https://x.com/dyerjonathan  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-dyer-10aa5135/  

BCG website: https://www.bcg.org.au/our-team/jonathan-dyer/  

Helpful links: 

Broden Holland on X: https://x.com/brodenholland  

Tim Rethus on X: https://x.com/TRethus  

Crop Scan: https://cropscanag.com/  

John Deere HarvestLab: https://www.deere.com.au/en/technology-products/precision-ag-technology/data-management/harvest-lab-3000/  

SMS: https://www.agleader.com/farm-management/sms-software/  

Addressing El Nino Misconceptions at Trials Review Day: https://www.bcg.org.au/addressing-el-nino-misconceptions-at-bcg-trials-review-day/  

Nitrogen Banking: https://www.bcg.org.au/research-article/investigating-nitrogen-management-using-urea-pulses-and-temporary-intercropping-2022/  

SPAA: https://www.spaa.com.au/  

Nuffield Scholarships: https://www.nuffieldscholar.org/  

To learn more about BCG visit www.bcg.org.au 

In the spirit of reconciliation, BCG acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.  

Disclaimer: 

The Birchip Cropping Group Inc. (“BCG”) makes no warranties regarding merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise with respect to this podcast. Any person relying on this report does so entirely at their own risk. BCG and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast and any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information to the full extent of the law, including but not limited to consequences arising as a result of action or inaction taken by that person or any third parties in reliance on the report. Where liability cannot be lawfully extinguished, liability is limited to the re-supply of the report or payment of the cost of resupplying the report. You should seek independent professional, technical or legal (as required) advice before acting on any opinion, advice or information contained in this podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.